The theater program kicked off this year with their performance of PUFFS. The show is about seven whimsical years at Hogwarts from the Harry Potter franchise, as told by some of the lesser-known students from the notable institution. The spinoff follows the awkward, confused students of the Hufflepuff house.

Both the cast and crew worked on the show weeks in advance. Preparation for the show entailed a weeklong auditioning process, in which students outside the department were given the chance to try out for the cast, as well as the crew. Once students were selected, after school rehearsals began, at which point both cast and backstage crew started working on their respective roles and jobs. The rehearsals took place every day after school for about a month.

“It all ended up really well. We all tried so hard to keep the audience engaged,” said theater student Fiona Massey, a member of the tech crew, which means she is responsible for lighting, putting props in place, helping with quick changes and overall making sure the show runs smoothly. 

According to Massey, about an hour before every show the costume and stage managers would spend some time preparing all the costumes, props, and making sure everything was in place for the show. The production heavily relied on the roles of the tech crew and cast working together to truly entertain the audience and grab their attention.

“We started the first week of school because it was a tight turnaround,” director Aimee Small said. 

Although it was produced within a span of about 2 -3 months, production value never suffered, as students took the time to paint every set piece, and block every scene in what’s called a “wet tech” (the combination of all the set and prop designs).

Naturally, students were apprehensive performing their final product, but according to Sadie Grundy, the show’s message of bravery, believing in yourself and love were not lost on the audience, as the performance was well received by viewers. 

“On opening night, it went very smoothly,” Grundy said.